Long ago dwarves were masters of surviving in the depths of the earth, carving out cities, kingdoms and empires that still remain but are infested with the horrors that lurk beneath the feet of surface dwellers. Sometime in their long history they were pushed surface-side, and those that still remain as dwellers in the earth populate regions where the sea meets high plateaus areas, like fjords. The dwarves that had to make do on the surface combined their talent for architecture and engineering with the magic of elves and this resulted in buildings and structures birthed from the earth itself.

Dwarves are a hardy bunch and can survive just about anything. They revel in combat and often spar for the fun of it. Due to their girth and width they are ungainly and suffer when tasked against challenges requiring adroitness and quickness of action.

Physical Description: Dwarves vary in height nearly as much as humans, but never exceed a height that is average for a human. Due to being able to carry loads that would slow down other mortals, they have developed an anatomy that makes them one and a half times wider and have an equal depth than the average medium sized creature. Males start to grow a beard at an early age and take pride themselves in its length and go out of their way to keep it from looking wild an unkempt. Females are incapable of growing beards but compensate by growing their hair as long as a man's beard, which on average can grow all the way down to their knees but this takes them a very long time and generally is exclusive to those that live up through until they reach three-quarters their venerable age. A female with a shorn head or a man without a beard is usually an indication of a dwarf gone mad, driven insane or worse; they are generally untrusted by those that are familiar with their kind.

Society: Great distances separate dwarven enclaves from the rest of their kin, though there are some they aren't as untrustworthy of magic as others of their kind. This usually means that by way of these rare few, some portals connect the dwarven villages that have a high population density, otherwise communication is painstakingly slow and visitation is a rarity. Dwarves are masters of engineering and architectural arts and thus the enclaves that exist in areas with fjords become seaports that are accessible with crude elevators and pulley systems; these enclaves are capable of communicating with other enclaves in the region fairly quickly and visitation by boat is practically part of the daily way of life.

Relations: Dwarves are as accepting as humans and elves of others, but have learned that guarding their hearts is a necessity; there are members of any race that are connivers and schemers and will take advantage of those that are too trusting. Dwarves only give their trust to other dwarves first, and then only to those that have established themselves as considerate and authentically honest. It isn't unlawful for a dwarf living in an enclave to be otherwise, but it is generally frowned upon. Members of other short-lived races are unlikely to win the trust of a dwarf in their lifetime, the children of those that teach good moral values and if said children keep those ethics close to heart have a chance at becoming friends with a dwarf, otherwise it is extremely rare for a dwarf to trust anyone outside of their own kind that is short-lived unless the person has established themselves far and wide as a someone that is worthy of being trusted and the dwarf has heard of their accomplishments.

There are very few races that dwarves have a permanent ire of (derro, kobolds, mites and morlocks being the most commonly heard of) and is thusly ingrained in the minds of their offspring by hearing tales of reading the stories that recants the events that led to their displacement from the subterranean depths.

Alignment: At a very early age, when the dwarven mind first starts to form and utilize its cognitive sense they are taught family values and other things that matter most to dwarves; friendship, honor, justice and tradition. A dwarf that embraces the concepts and never falls from the grace of their enclave is lawful good or and remains so until their dying day. A fallen dwarf usually still follows their law aspect and is generally becomes neutral on the good/evil axis unless permanently exiled. A chaotic dwarf is a rarity as they are usually mentally unstable and not prone to honoring dwarven aspects and traditions.

Religion: Dwarves are not overly religious creatures. They give honor and worship to the familial allfather deity most often and usually start and end their day with a quick prayer to him. A dwarf that submits to themselves to a higher calling is an oddity, though it is not unheard of. On the whole, dwarves submit to two day of revelry per week with their entire clan, their entire extended family included. This day is set to honor their roots and give respect to the dwarven allfather by basking in the warmth of and camaraderie of their own kin, specifically their parents and all living progenitors of their parents (which can go back quite far considering how long they can live).

Adventurers: Dwarves that feel the tug of the adventurers life either embrace it due to being an exile of their enclave or to pursue riches and glory for it. A dwarven adventurer is sometimes a maverick, though there are some that are sent out by their enclave as extraordinary specimens to gather information and/or reconnoiter the surrounding area or even a much larger territory. Whatever the reason behind pursuing a path that is away from the comfort of their hearth, a dwarf that shines the brightest is one that pursues a path that improves their martial might.

Dwarven Racial Traits

+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity: Dwarves are strong and resilient, but they have a wide girth.

Medium: Dwarves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Hardy: Dwarves have a base speed of 30 feet and their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.

Low-Light Vision: Dwarves can see three times as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Earthly Acumen: Dwarves receive a +2 racial saving throw bonus against Illusion spells and effects.

Resilient: Dwarves receive a +1 natural armor bonus. In addition they receive a +2 racial bonus against poison, disease and paralysis.

Stability: Dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.

Student of Earth & Stone: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise skill checks made to determine the price of non-magical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones. In addition, dwarves receive a +2 bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors; they receive this check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.

Weapon Training: The dwarf chooses any one exotic weapon or two martial weapons and is proficient in their use.

Languages: Dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Elven, Feranian, Nagendreen and Solaran.